Trey Burke's shot at being the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft is rising, analyst says

Former Michigan point guard Trey Burke is picking up steam as a candidate for the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, one analyst says. Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com

When Trey Burke arrived at Michigan, he wasn't even a top 100 recruit.

But as he's leaving Michigan, the former point guard star could be No. 1.

As in, the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA draft.

ESPN.com draft analyst Chad Ford wrote Thursday that Burke's chances of being the top selection in June's draft are becoming more and more real in the eyes of some NBA general managers.

"More and more GMs are getting on the Burke bandwagon as a potential No. 1 pick," Ford wrote. "For the first time, I've heard GMs make the case why he might be the No. 1 pick for the Magic, Kings, Pelicans and Jazz.

"I think he's still a bit of a long shot, but the momentum is clearly in his favor at the moment."

With Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart returning to school, Burke is now regarded as the undoubted top point guard in this year's draft class.

He's No. 5 overall on Ford's big board, but, if a team in need of a point guard (like the aforementioned four) are selecting at No. 1, he could bump up.

If he did, he'd be Michigan's first top selection in the draft since Chris Webber went to the Orlando Magic in 1993. He was later traded to the Golden State Warriors.

The consensus national player of the year, Burke will have a chance to strut his stuff for NBA teams at the league's combine later this month in Chicago.